diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 184b97a..2f1d8c6 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ struct _xmpp_ctx_t {
     xmpp_rand_t *rand;
     xmpp_loop_status_t loop_status;
     xmpp_connlist_t *connlist;
+
+    unsigned long timeout;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ctx.c b/src/ctx.c
index e57ed47..9885154 100644
--- a/src/ctx.c
+++ b/src/ctx.c
@@ -91,6 +91,14 @@ void xmpp_shutdown(void)
 #define LIBXMPP_VERSION_MINOR (0)
 #endif
 
+#ifndef DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
+/** @def DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
+ *  The default timeout in milliseconds for the event loop.
+ *  This is set to 1 millisecond.
+ */
+#define DEFAULT_TIMEOUT 1
+#endif
+
 /** Check that Strophe supports a specific API version.
  *
  *  @param major the major version number
@@ -410,6 +418,7 @@ xmpp_ctx_t *xmpp_ctx_new(const xmpp_mem_t * const mem,
         ctx->connlist = NULL;
         ctx->loop_status = XMPP_LOOP_NOTSTARTED;
         ctx->rand = xmpp_rand_new(ctx);
+        ctx->timeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
         if (ctx->rand == NULL) {
             xmpp_free(ctx, ctx);
             ctx = NULL;
@@ -432,3 +441,15 @@ void xmpp_ctx_free(xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx)
     xmpp_free(ctx, ctx); /* pull the hole in after us */
 }
 
+/** Set the timeout to use when calling xmpp_run().
+ *
+ *  @param ctx a Strophe context object
+ *  @param timeout the time to wait for events in milliseconds
+ *
+ *  @ingroup Context
+ */
+void xmpp_ctx_set_timeout(xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, const unsigned long timeout)
+{
+  ctx->timeout = timeout;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/event.c b/src/event.c
index b722e6c..c7fd886 100644
--- a/src/event.c
+++ b/src/event.c
@@ -51,14 +51,6 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "parser.h"
 
-#ifndef DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
-/** @def DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
- *  The default timeout in milliseconds for the event loop.
- *  This is set to 1 millisecond.
- */
-#define DEFAULT_TIMEOUT 1
-#endif
-
 /** Run the event loop once.
  *  This function will run send any data that has been queued by
  *  xmpp_send and related functions and run through the Strophe even
@@ -333,7 +325,7 @@ void xmpp_run(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx)
 
     ctx->loop_status = XMPP_LOOP_RUNNING;
     while (ctx->loop_status == XMPP_LOOP_RUNNING) {
-        xmpp_run_once(ctx, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
+        xmpp_run_once(ctx, ctx->timeout);
     }
 
     /* make it possible to start event loop again */
diff --git a/strophe.h b/strophe.h
index 8e474b1..2f78629 100644
--- a/strophe.h
+++ b/strophe.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ typedef struct _xmpp_ctx_t xmpp_ctx_t;
 xmpp_ctx_t *xmpp_ctx_new(const xmpp_mem_t * const mem, 
 			 const xmpp_log_t * const log);
 void xmpp_ctx_free(xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx);
+void xmpp_ctx_set_timeout(xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, const unsigned long timeout);
 
 /* free some blocks returned by other APIs, for example the
    buffer you get from xmpp_stanza_to_text */